Vehicle and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A vehicle and a manufacturing method thereof is provided in which separation of positively charged airflow from a positively charged surface of a vehicle body can be prevented. A vehicle body is insulated from a road surface, and positive static charges accumulate on the vehicle body during propulsion. The vehicle comprises a self-discharge device that is adapted to decrease a positive potential of at least any one of specific points at which positively charged airflow flowing along a vehicle surface deviates therefrom, during propulsion of the vehicle, by discharging static electricity to produce negative ions according to the positive potential of the specific point.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle, in which positive static charges accumulate on a vehicle body insulated from a road surface during propulsion of the vehicle, comprising:
 a self-discharge device that is adapted to decrease a positive potential of at least one of specific portions of the vehicle body determined in advance at which positively charged airflow flowing along a vehicle surface of the specific portions of the vehicle body deviates therefrom and control stability of the vehicle can be improved by preventing separation of the positively charged airflow, during propulsion of the vehicle, by discharging static electricity to produce negative ions according to the positive potential of the specific portions of the vehicle body, wherein 
 the specific portions include a part of a member made of resin material 
 the self-discharge device includes a potential decreasing member adapted to cause a self-discharge according to energy of positive static electricity on the specific portions and in the vicinity thereof, 
 the potential decreasing member is attached to the specific portions of the vehicle body at which the positively charged airflow flowing along the vehicle surface deviates therefrom, 
 the potential decreasing member includes a conductive metal sheet having a sharp edge or a protrusion to cause the self-discharge, and 
 the potential decreasing member is attached to a backside of an outer surface of the vehicle body to be exposed to the airflow flowing thereon. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the specific portions include a center part in a width direction of the vehicle body on at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the vehicle body. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the specific portions include any pair of parts that are bilaterally symmetrical with respect to the center part in the width direction of the vehicle body. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the specific portions include a plurality of parts situated keeping predetermined intervals along a flowing direction of the airflow. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the specific portions include a grounding portion of a battery; and 
 wherein the self-discharge device is adapted to decrease negative potential of the grounding portion. 
 
     
     
       6. A manufacturing method of a vehicle in which positive static charges accumulate on a vehicle body insulated from a road surface during propulsion of the vehicle, comprising:
 determining a portion at which control stability of the vehicle can be improved by preventing separation of positively charged airflow flowing along a vehicle surface of the vehicle body during propulsion of the vehicle; and 
 attaching a self-discharge device that is adapted to decrease a positive potential to said portion by discharging static electricity to produce negative ions according to the positive potential of said portion, wherein 
 the specific portion includes a part of a member made of resin material, 
 the self-discharge device includes a potential decreasing member adapted to cause a self-discharge according to energy of positive static electricity on the specific portion and in the vicinity thereof, 
 the potential decreasing member is attached to the specific portion of the vehicle body at which the positively charged airflow flowing along the vehicle surface deviates therefrom, 
 the potential decreasing member includes a conductive metal sheet having a sharp edge or a protrusion to cause the self-discharge, 
 the potential decreasing member is attached to a backside of an outer surface of the vehicle body to be exposed to the airflow flowing thereon. 
 
     
     
       7. The manufacturing method of a vehicle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the portion at which control stability of the vehicle can be improved by preventing separation of positively charged airflow flowing along the vehicle surface during propulsion of the vehicle is determined at a center part in a width direction of the vehicle body on at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the vehicle body. 
     
     
       8. The manufacturing method of a vehicle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the portion at which control stability of the vehicle can be improved by preventing separation of positively charged airflow flowing along the vehicle surface during propulsion of the vehicle is determined at symmetrical portions in a width direction across the width center of the vehicle. 
     
     
       9. The manufacturing method of a vehicle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein a plurality of the self-discharge devices are attached to the vehicle body while keeping predetermined intervals along a flowing direction of the airflow.